Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-01
FOR THE LEAGUE.
Gladstone DenOunces Its Proclamation
The Government Arraigned in a
Masterly Speech.
He Moves His Resolution to Make an
Appeal to the Queen-Mr. Balfour
Explains Why the League
Was Proclaimed.

greeted with cheers in the house of COM
mons this evening when he arose to move
his resolution, that an humble address
be presented to the queen, representing
that the vlceroy of Ireland has proclaim
ed the National league as a dangerous
association, that no information hes been
furnished TO parliament to Justify the
proclamation by virtue of which her
majesty's subjects are to be rendered
liable to be punished as criminals with
out judicial inquiry into the nature of
their acts, and that this house, in the alb
sence of such information, prays that said
proclamation shall not continue in force
as to the association named and described
therein"
Mr.. Gladstone said that the Irish vice
roy in declaring that the league had incit-
ed to violence must have acted on infor-
nation, but where was the information?
The Irish chiefs had right to demand
to know the grounds on which the govern
ment had acted. If the facts were with
held the opposition must forthwith urge
three propositions upon the house and
the governments: First, that it was a
slight, almost an outrage, to the dignity
of parliament to suppose that it was to
discharge such an important statutory
duty without knowing grounds; second,
that it reduced to utter destruction and
to an absurdity the main contention that
| the government advanced during the dis
cussiOn of crimes act, that the safeguard
promised had proved farce He asked
what was the value of meaning of a par
liamentary approval given in igorance of
| the facts? Why not follow the course
taken by Yelling ton and Peel In 1929 re-
garding the Catholic league and suppress
it? Third, what could the house think of
information that they must know would
not bear the light? Cheers.
NOT AIMED AT CRIME.
Mr.. Gladstone said he had always con-
tended that the government were legis-
latlng against combinations apart from
crime, and now was the time for the
government to show that he and his
friends were wrong, But the government
shrank from the test and declined the
challenge. They had substituted an
arbitrary will for regular legal action.
This principle was most dangerous and
disgraceful one in any country, and es-
pecially in Ireland. Law in Ireland was
still on trial great misfortune was
that those who administered it, especial
ly locally, were not in sympathy with the
feelings of the people. The proclama-
ton of the National league. Mr.. Glad
stone declared, was a near approach to.
declaration of war on the Irish people.
The people of Ireland generally m-
pathized with the league because thew be-
lieved that it had been their salv, on.
Parnellite cheersl. Nobody didl ny
thing for the tenants until the leeagtH was.
founded.
The government was pressing Ireland
very hard and it was evident that they in
tended to work and act by summary juris
diction. The governments action abso-
,lutely excluded the house from anything
except an absured and perfunctory
operation in connection with the great
duty devolving upon it under the statute.
The recogRjzance of this proclamation
was reduced : to a mere farce. There
would be no jury, judge or resident
magistrate, and no parliament to control
Ireland; there would be nothing but the
absolute, unmitigated, arbitrary act of
the Irish executive, which was necessarily
partisan, He hoped that the Irish would
continue to bear the PRESSURE. They
would not have to suffer long. 1t was
certain that they would not obey the law
through fear cheers but from a strong,
vivid, buoyant hope which even at the
last election, was not damaged, and which
now was brighter and livelier. Cheers /.
The governments foundation was slip
ping from under them and their action
in reference to the proclamation of the
league showed that their strength was
failing. Ireland, seeing this, trusted the
English nation to fulfill her reasonable
Whish and was convinced that her ex-
pectations would not be disappointed.
Mr.. Gladstone then presented his re-
solution amid prolonged cheers.
MIR. BALFOURS REPLY.
Mr.. Balfour said that Mr.. Gladstone
would have been wiser had he rested his
argument on the allegation that the house
was ignorant of the grounds for the pro-
clamation, rather than on defense of
the league. The governments difficulty
was not the fning of evidence to Justify
the proclamation, but the selecting of it
from the enormous mass of evidence they
possessed. There was sufficient founda-
ton to Justify the proclamation in the
columns of the local newspapers without
going into the governments confidential
reports. Mr.. Balfour argued that when
Mr.. Gladstone proclaimed the Land
leagEe he did so when Mr.. Parnell was
imprisoned and when parliament was not
sitting and that he afforded 10 informa-
ton to any one concerned. He quoted
at length from documents to show that
the league was guilty of boycotting, coer
cling and instigating infractions of the
law.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt asked
the speaker whether the documents from
which he quoted would be submitted to
the house.
Mr.. Balfour refused to submit the doc
uments, and proceeding, narrated other
instances of the leagues unlawful action.
Sir William asked the speaker whether
Mr.. BaIfour was bound to table the offici-
al documents cited.
The speaker replied that Mr.. Balfour
was not bound to table confidential docu-
ments but the case was different with of
fetal papers, which the house might want
to verify. Opposition cheers
Harcourt-After the speakers ruling,
expect that the papers will be tabled.
Balfour-I shall do nothing of the
kind. My documents are of three sorts
public and confidential papers and my
own notes. If the people realized the
true nature and working of league they